change

Home 

Choose your country

or

 

Walks & Trails

 

 

Bridge to Nowhere

The 'Bridge to Nowhere' - click for more.
Cross the
'Bridge to Nowhere' in the Whanganui National Park
More about this image
Located deep in the forest of Whanganui National Park, this concrete road bridge looks ridiculously out of place. There is no road either side, and no signs of construction or civilisation. It is truly the 'Bridge to Nowhere'.

As you can imagine, there is an interesting story behind this bridge.

The remote Mangapurua Valley was opened up in 1919 to provide farms for soldiers returning from World War I. A wooden swing bridge for horses provided access to the valley. After years of agitation from the local community, a more robust concrete road bridge was constructed in 1936. However it was used for only six years. The Mangapurua Valley Soldiers Settlement walked off their land in 1942 after decades of battling hardship caused by the valley's poor soils. The forest grew back, obliterating all signs of habitation except for the bridge.

Today, you can find the Bridge to Nowhere by catching a jet boat from either Pipiriki or Whakahoro. From Mangapurua Landing on the Whanganui River it's an easy 40 minute walk one-way, through beautiful native forest. The bridge offers great views of the steep forest valley and the riverbed below.

This area is part of the Whanganui National Park, and the Bridge to Nowhere is a feature of the popular two-day hike along the Mangapurua Track which starts at Whakahoro.
 


 
RUAPEHU Region


Contact Details

Find out more about this scenic highlight from the nearest i-SITE

Raetihi is the closest town to this highlight.

In Raetihi:

Other towns near Raetihi by road:

Other towns near Raetihi by rail:

Raetihi does not have any rail stations.

The nearest rail station is in Ohakune (16 minutes)

Other towns near Raetihi by air:

Raetihi does not have scheduled passenger air services.

The nearest airport is in Wanganui (79 minutes)

Disclaimer
All information available on this web site concerning products and services is provided by the suppliers of those goods and services. Because information is liable to change from time to time you should not rely on the information on this web site but should check the accuracy of the information with the relevant supplier. Tourism New Zealand is not responsible or liable for any claims arising in relation to information supplied to it.

 
Front Row Rugby Club

Front Row Rugby Club Join the Front Row Rugby Club along with Tana Umaga and thousands of others.

New Zealand Videos

New Zealand Videos Browse our collection of videos that showcase what New Zealand has to offer.

Your Words

Your Words Browse personal blogs for straight talking thoughts and opinions about our places, people and adventures.


› Email this page  
› Page top

Tools:

Souvenirs:

Your Experiences:

100% Pure - newzealand.com
Edition: 
Travel:
Our other sites: 

100% Pure New Zealand on: 
The email addresses published on this web page are for conducting communications that promote Tourism in New Zealand, and are not to be used for any other commercial purpose.
Copyright 1999-2009 Tourism New Zealand, the official website of the New Zealand Tourism Board.